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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

"Abigail" How Could You Do This To Us?

Hey Everyone,

So, yes I am doing another Motionless In White song and this is a tribute to my English class and my wonderful English teacher, Mr. Elkin! In class, we just finished reading Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". Fitting enough, this song is based off of that play. The song is off of the "Creatures" album and it's called "Abigail". For those of you who don't know, "The Crucible" is about the Salem witch trials and Abigail is a conniving seventeen year old girl who had sex with a married man who was about twice her age. And she's pretty much the first person who went around pointing fingers at "witches". So she started the whole thing. Now that you all know that, you will better understand the lyrics of this song and their references to this play.
So you can look at said lyrics here and follow along with me! This song is from the perspective of John Proctor who is the aforementioned adulterer. He is saying that she who in the play becomes revered as a saint is the only real witch, especially considering the fact that she drank blood as a charm to kill John Proctor's wife. And he is now being seen as a heretic because he hates Salem's pastor and therefore he doesn't go to church very often and when he is being accused of working with the devil he says (because of the corruption occurring in Salem) that "God is dead!". So in the first verse he wonders how Abigail could be so cruel as to sentence thirty-something people including him to death. Then he talks about how she is a "product of lust". I am of the mind that if John had never had his affair with Abigail, none of the deaths in the play would have occurred so that's what I think he is saying by her being a "product of lust"- everything she is doing is, as is said in the play, "A whore's vengence". Then he goes to mention the fact that John Proctor is eventually hung as the people of Salem watch and even cheer. And John had been a pretty upstanding citizen and hoped perhaps that the people would see the corruption happening when he was actually hung.

Then the second verse talks about how Abigail is truly the guilty one and makes reference to the death of another character in the play who was killed while the court officials tried to get him to give the name of someone who accused someone else. This murdered man was really old and refused to give up his loyalty and was killed by the crushing weight of stones that were placed upon his chest. He is telling Abigail in this verse that she is guilty and must confess her sins and that she will be condemned to hell for what she has caused. And then it has a few lines that John Proctor says in the play and talks about how they'll meet again in hell.

So I don't really know of a good moral here- maybe don't send a bunch of people to their death? That's never really a good thing. And don't lie because it gets you into a whole bunch of trouble even of you seem cool or something like that for whatever lie you tell because it won't end well. I hope you all enjoyed this and enjoy the song!
Love to all,
-Autumn the Music Girl